Spiraeaxc3x97Bumalda / Spirea Plant.
cv. xe2x80x98Flowering Choicexe2x80x99.
The new Spiraeaxc3x97Bumalda Burv. plant of the present invention was the product of a controlled breeding program that began in 1976 at Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. Initially, Spiraeaxc3x97Bumalda xe2x80x98Goldflamexe2x80x99, non-patented in the United States) was crossed with Spiraea japonica nana xe2x80x98W. H. Perron Selectxe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). The F1 seeds were sown in the greenhouse and 403 seedlings were planted and observed in the field. From 1978 to 1988, twenty-seven clones were selected for their yellow foliage. A yellow foliage clone xe2x80x98SX-1-31-02xe2x80x99 was open pollinated and the resulting F2 seed produced 60 percent seedlings having green foliage and 40 percent seedlings having yellow foliage. One of the yellow foliage clones was selected and was open pollinated with the resulting seedlings having 65 percent yellow foliage and 35 percent green foliage. Of these seedlings, one selection was named xe2x80x98G-DW-80-106xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States), and served as the female parent of the cross that yielded the new variety of the present invention. The male parent in such cross was Spiraea japonica, xe2x80x98Shirobanaxe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). A single plant of the new variety of the present invention was first observed in 1985 and was selected during 1986 from among the resulting seedlings and has been carefully preserved.
It was found that the new variety of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:
(a) Exhibits a small compact and rounded growth habit,
(b) Forms attractive large purplish-pink blooms over an extended period of time, and
(c) Forms fine-textured lanceolate medium green leaves that assume a purplish-red coloration in the fall.
The new variety of the present invention well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be grown as distinctive ornamentation. Attractive perfect (bisexual) flowers are produced as compound corymbs after the emergence of the leaves on the current season""s wood.
The plants of the new variety can be readily distinguished from those of the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 variety (non-patented in the United States). More specifically, the new variety is a smaller plant, the new variety commonly blooms up to approximately fifteen weeks compared to approximately five weeks for the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 variety, the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 commonly initiates blooming on an earlier date, the blooms of the new variety are larger, the florets of xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 are lighter in coloration when they first open and fade to a lighter pink, the leaves of the new variety turn purplish-red in the fall whereas those of the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 variety turn orange, the growth habit is rounded compared to flat-top-rounded for the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 variety, and the new variety produces no follicle whereas the xe2x80x98Little Princessxe2x80x99 variety produces a medium brown follicle.
The new variety of the present invention can be distinguished from its xe2x80x98Shirobanaxe2x80x99 parent by its shorter and more compact growth habit, longer period of blooming, and the formation of all purplish-pink flowers whereas the flowers of xe2x80x98Shirobanaxe2x80x99 are white and pink.
The rooting of cuttings has been used to asexually propagate the new variety at Quebec, Canada. Such propagation can be readily carried out in early spring while using tender cuttings. It has been found that the distinctive combination of characteristics of the new variety is firmly fixed and is reliably transmitted to succeeding generations.
The new variety has been named xe2x80x98Flowering Choicexe2x80x99.